his left arm on the
balcony, and raised himself by it, until his arms were above its
level. The tiger was standing with its paw upon a prostrate figure,
growling savagely, but evidently confused and somewhat dismayed at the
piercing screams from the women, most of whom had thrown themselves
down on the cushions of the divan.

Dick stretched his right hand forward, took a steady aim, and fired. A
sharp snarl showed that the shot had taken effect. He dropped the
pistol, snatched the other from his mouth, waited for a moment until
he could make out the tiger, fired again, and at once dropped to the
ground, just as a great body flashed from the window above him.

He and Surajah had both had their matchlocks slung over their
shoulders, and before the tiger could recover from its spring, they
levelled and fired. The tiger rolled over, but regained its feet and
made towards them. One of the bullets had, however, struck it on the
shoulder and disabled the leg. Its movements were therefore
comparatively slow, and they had time to leap aside. Surajah
discharged his pistol into its ear, while Dick brought down his keen
sword, with all his strength, upon its neck; and the tiger rolled
over, dead.

A mighty shout rose from the crowd.

"We had better be off," Dick said, "or we shall have all sorts of
questions to answer."

They slipped through the hole in the net again, but were so surrounded
by people, cheering and applauding them, that they could not extricate
themselves; and a minute later some soldiers ran up, pushed through
the crowd to them, and surrounded them.

"The sultan requires your presence," they said; and as resistance was
out of the question, Dick and Surajah at once accompanied them to the
entrance of the Palace.

They were led through several large halls, until they entered the room
where Tippoo was standing. He had just left the women's apartment,
where he had hurried to ascertain what damage had been done by the
tiger. Dick and his companion salaamed to the ground, in accordance
with the custom of the country.

"You are brave fellows," the sultan said graciously, "and all the
braver that you risked death, not only from the tiger, but for daring
to look upon my women, unveiled."

"I saw nothing, your Highness," Dick said humbly, "save the tiger.
That he was standing over a fallen figure I noticed. As soon as my eye
fell on him I fired at once, and the second time as soon as the smoke
cleared so that I